No one wants to listen to her child shriek for hours nonstop. WHY GIVING IN CAN BACKFIRE. If a few months of nighttime wakings have left you feeling fuzzy in the brain, picture what a year (or more!) will feel like. While stumbling into the nursery multiple times a night to help your baby settle down feels like the right thing to do, it's not: Sleeping through the night and self-soothing are learned skills-and it's your job to teach them, says Dr. Owens. GET OVER IT. By 3 months, your baby is developmentally ready for sleep-training. While you can certainly wait until, say, 7 or 8 months to let her cry it out, keep in mind that the older she gets, the more ingrained her nighttime habits will become. Start by putting your child in her crib, drowsy but still awake. If she screams, check in after five minutes, then ten, and so on (or whatever time interval is comfortable for you). The visits should be brief, boring, and unemotional. "Expect a burst of loud protest on the first night or two," says Dr. Owens, "but it will all be over in about a week, and often in just a few days."
-Parents Magazine
2 comments:
sounds just like Baby Wise... I am forever grateful that Kaitlin was on a sleeping schedule because it helped the whole house get sleep! I have never regretted it for a second... and the crying before bed only lasted for about three days. Plus, when something was really wrong with the baby, we knew because she would cry.
I totally agree. OR if you want a really grumpy mommy, then don't train them to sleep:)
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